Views From The `Footiemad` Armchair
Diary Of A Season February 2006



Wednesday 1st February 2006
 "And I'm telling this story in a faraway scene. Sipping down raki and reading maynard keynes." (Song Lyric)
Dignity - Deacon Blue: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

DJ Campbell starred for Yeading in the FA Cup last season, but against which fellow non-league club did he score twice in the round two proper?
Four games last night ranging from the obvious - Sunderland losing again - to the late winner as Fulham beat Spurs. The latter game was on PPV and I must admit that I stuck with it until the very end, just hoping that a goal might eventually go in! In truth though, it wasn't that bad a game, it was just the finishing that was poor. I'll be the first to admit though that, when Fulham netted in stoppage time, I was up off the sofa. Not that I'm anti-Spurs, I just don't like them!!

The other big story of the night was the double red card at Wigan as home fave Jason Roberts was sent off within three minutes of Big Dunc getting his marching orders for Everton. Whilst Dunc is not a stranger to getting various cards, Roberts is and, at the time, it seemed serious as it looked as though he'd miss the Carling Cup Final which would be a massive shame. Now though, it would seem that they'll bring a re-arranged game against Spurs forward and he can see out his suspension in that match. Maybe Spurs aren't so terrible after all.

For all the deadline day wheelings and dealings, two stories stood out for me. Firstly, the Joey Barton sitaution at Man City. For all his problems on and off the pitch, City have helped and stood by him, only to be kicked in the proverbial nuts by player and agent. Good on boss Stuart Pearce though who said that he came to the club for nothing and can leave for the same in 18 months, hopefully after being left to fester in the reserves! A City supporting friend of mine reckons that Pearce should break Barton's legs, although I felt that to be slightly extreme!

The other stand-out transfer was Dudley (DJ) Campbell's move from Brentford to Birmingham, just three days after helping his former club see off Sunderland. At half a million, it's a risk from the Blues for someone untried at the highest level, however one that they clearly felt was worth going for. I wonder if he's the only Prem player to be called Dudley?


Thursday 2nd February 2006
 "That means Nora and Tim are going to be killed by pigeons!" (Film Quote)
Final Destination 2: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

Which player famously scored a New Years Day hat trick against Man United at Old Trafford in the early 90s?
Dennis Bailey in a 4-1 win for QPR: Correctly answered by Matt Robbins
Gunners Hammered: Wow, that was some evening of football with a few surprises, not least at Highbury where West Ham ended a nine game losing run at Arsenal's ground with a sensational win. Ok, Sol Campbell was at fault for the first two goals, but Reo-Coker and Zamora had to do their bit and did it superbly, resulting in Campbell being subbed at half time and throwing his toys from his pram and storming out of the stadium - allegedly. Even an Arsenal goal at the end of each half failed to dampen the Hammers as they won 3-2 and whilst on balance of play it was perhaps not a fair reflection, it's all about finishing well and West Ham showed Arsenal just how to do it!

Chelsea fail to win! It happened again! After drawing their last two games, Chelsea only drew again, this time at Aston Villa. Those predicting the sudden downfall of the Blue Empire are being a little premature methinks as a good team doesn't go bad overnight (Unless it's Arsenal!) and it surely stands to reason that even Champions-elect with have a blip now and again.

Top Bentley And so to Man United who also failed to win as David Bentley's hat trick saw them lose to the odd goal in seven at Blackburn. Top quality entertainment alll round in truth, especially from defender-turned-midfielder Rio Ferdinand who simply couldn't keep out of his own penalty area and gifted Blackburn their second goal before sending Robbie Savage out of the ground on a stretcher with a high challenge that saw him sent off. How fortunes change in football as Ferdinand was a hero ten days ago against Liverpool. Now he faces a three game ban.


Friday 3rd February 2006
 "One minute you're defending the whole galaxy, and, suddenly, you find yourself sucking down Darjeeling with Marie Antoinette and her little sister." (Film Quote)
Toy Story: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

During the 95-96 when Newcastle almost won the league, they won 17 of 19 home games. Which two clubs took points off them at St James Park?
The most unsurprising breaking news of the season broke yesterday morning as Newcastle sacked Graeme Souness. I know it's a cliche but the writing has been on the proverbial wall for a while now and it was simply a matter of getting a bad result somewhere for the straw to break Freddie Sheppard's back - and it happened at Man City on Wednesday night. Most Newcastle fans now have their own way, but it's worth remembering that 18 months ago, they were waving banners asking for "Robson Out!", although again those that I spoke to weren't keen on Souness in the first place. The problem seems to be that the fans are making the same mistake as us Leeds fans have made in the past and believing that a great stadium and great history makes you a great club. It doesn't. Yes, they should have won the Premiership ten years ago, but aside from reaching a couple of cup finals and being well beaten, silverware has rarely been close to St James Park in the last decade, yet the fans want - demand - success. Relegation brought the reality jolt that Leeds fans needed and now we're happy to be in with a chance of making the play offs and possibly the Premiership come May, so maybe the Toon fans need to stand back and look at where the club is and has been for the last few years and not be so fickle when a poor season or three come along. After all, if all you need is a decent stadium and decent history, then Huddersfield fans should also be kicking up merry hell!

Souness's replacement at St James is the next question? Smart money seems to be on Sam Allardyce, but I would be shocked if he left Bolton for Newcastle. He's got the club into Europe for the first time ever and has the total respect of the fans, whereas moving to Tyneside brings with it all sorts of potential problems. For that matter, would the Newcastle fans be happy with their club playing in the `Bolton style`? So, according to one of the bookies today, the third coming is on it's way at Newcastle with the odds on one man going from a massive 33/1 to just 10/1 in 24 hours! That person is Kevin Keegan...We shall see.


Saturday 4th February 2006
 "Sits alone and bends his cane, same old backsides again. All the small ones tell tall tales, walking home and squashing snails." (Song Lyric)
Baggy Trousers - Madness: Correctly answered by Kirstymd

Which two Blackburn players had an infamous punch up during a Champions League game in Moscow in 1995?
Graeme Le Saux & David Batty: Correctly answered by Matt Robbins
Arsenal Shock! Yes, don't adjust your monitors but Arsenal really did win away from home! Okay, it was against a struggling Birmingham side, however after the last few days that the club and boss Arsene Wenger has had, especially with the Sol Campbell situation, he'd have been glad with a last minute winner that went in off the back of the referee's head. Maybe this result will kick start the Gunners into some sort of action as the injury situation and `transitional season` will only hold water for so long.

United Back On Form: Having conceded four goals in midweek, Man United let in another two today, however this time they did at least manage to score more than their opponents as they beat Fulham 4-2 in an entertaining evening game. Talking point, apart from how many tricks and stepovers did Cristiano Ronaldo manage to achieve in one game, was the offside flag that didn't go up in the build up for United's third goal. In the past, there may have been doubts over some offsides as regards interfering or not, however this was as clear cut as you will ever see as Ruud Van Nistelrooy was at least a yard offside when the ball was played a few yards directly to him! No wonder boss Chris Coleman was left furious! At best it was poor, at worst, the linesman seriously needs a trip to Specsavers.

Boro On The Decline: Take away a win at bottom club Sunderland and Middlesbrough have not won in almost ten weeks in the league! They slumped to new depths today as they were ripped apart at home by Aston Villa who walloped four goals past a hapless Boro side. I wonder how much longer it will be before the fans `do a Newcastle` and start calling for the head of the manager on a silver platter. Will another North-East side lose their boss this week?

Sheer Gold: As Alan Shearer finally broke Jackie Milburn's all time goal scoring record for Newcastle with his 201st goal against Portsmouth today, it's worth noting that, according to Chris `unbelievable` Kamara on Soccer Saturday today, they played superbly. Graeme Souness must be wondering why they waited until he was sacked.


Sunday 5th February 2006
 "Do you know what God did for me? He threw an 18-wheeled truck at me and bounced me into nowhere for five years." (Film Quote)
The Dead Zone: Correctly answered by kirstymd

Which former Chelsea goalkeeper broke his toe in 1990 when he dropped a bottle of salad cream on it?
Dave Beasant: Correctly answered by Matt Robbins
Spurs 3 Charlton 1: No major surprises at the Lane as Spurs continued their quest for fourth place or maybe even higher. If you look at one of those league tables that splits the results into home and away, it's noticably that Spurs are basing their success on decent home form having won eight of their thirteen games and lost just once - and that to Chelsea. Away, they are indifferent with four of each possible result which is on a par with Aston Villa who are twelvth. If you make you home stadium a fortress, you can afford the odd slip up away from home and still do well, so Spurs are certainly doing that and it's credit to the midfielder collector aka Martin Jol for making his side tough to beat at the Lane. On today's showing, a Champions League place is still a possibility and if Jermain Defoe can keep up this sort of form and finishing, he could well be on the way to Germany in the summer.

Chelsea 2 Liverpool 0: No shock to see Chelsea beat Liverpool in the league, but isn't it a shame that the Oscar nominations were made last week as we could have had a late arrival at Stamford Bridge today. Yes, forget about Jake unspellable-surname in Brokeback Mountain. Step forward Arjen Robben for his wonderful over-acting display after Liverpool keeper Jose Reina shoved him in the throat. Regardless of how severe it was, Reina was rightly sent off, however his caused wasn't helped by Robben who fell to the ground with a display of dramatic acting that few could dream of matching in Hollywood. Indeed anyone not in the know would have sworn he'd been hit by a sledgehammer. Ok, sarcasm over! It's a shame that players feel the need to do this and I'd probably have more respect if they stood up and threw a punch in return.


Monday 6th February 2006
 "Well you're slim and you're weak, you got the teeth of the Hydra upon you." (Song Lyric)
Get It On - T.Rex: Correctly answered by Gareth Fairey

Who was the first non-British manager to win a major trophy with a Premiership club?
Ruud Gullitt (Chelsea FA Cup 1997): Correctly answered by Matt Robbins
Joey Barton looks set to strike a peace deal with Man City and sign the contract that he turned down not so long ago. Hang on, I should say that his agent would advise him to sign if it were offered again. The exact quote being, "If City came back with the same figure as a basic salary I would advise him to sign it!" So why not sign in the first place? Would it be anything to do with trying to get a better deal, to suck further funds from the hand that currently feeds? Failing that, would it be to slam in a transfer request with the view of getting away from the club that has stood beside Barton over many problems? Now that City have stood their ground, agent and player look likely to back down and quit whilst behind and accept City's offer. Good on City I say who are the only faction to come out of this with their heads held high.

I'm sure most people have seen those ads and posters from the Crime Prevention people telling us how us must not leave valubles on show in our cars as it's an open invitation to criminals. Equally I'm sure many of us have seen people doing exactly the opposite, whether deliberately or simply through forgetfullness, and leaving various items in full view on anyone who wants to look. Last week when we parked in our town centre car park, I happened to glance at the empty car next to us for no real reason and although it looked perfectly normal, the view through the front windscreen was interesting! On the passenger side, the sun visor was down and in full view of everyone, the driver had an attachment on the front - facing outwards - that allowed him/her to slide various CD's in for easy access! Great idea in theory, but all the CD were facing away from the passenger's side and out towards the general public! Anyone want the latest Arctic Monkeys??


Tuesday 7th February 2006
 "I'm ten years old and I don't even know if I'm black with white stripes or white with black stripes!" (Film Quote)
Madagascar: Correctly answered by kirstymd

Which Scottish club plays at Central Park, a stadium that has held World Championships for Stock Car Racing?
Watching Watford beat, no destroy, Sheffield United on their own patch last night was a bit of a bittersweet experience. Bitter as Watford overtook us on goal difference to go into third place although we still have a game in hand and sweet as it gave us, Watford and the following bunch some hope that United could still be beaten in the race for second place. Forget Reading, they are gone and practically in the Prem, but with a lead of eleven points, Sheffield United remain a realistic target especially on last night's evidence. Of course, the defeat could work in their favour as you cannot imagine boss Neil Warnock being overly impressed with the performance, even if they did have ten men for over an hour, and would certainly not want a repeat display. But for now, there remains that little bit of hope that automatic promotion could yet be within our grasp.

One of the biggest selling football shirts at the moment is not Chelsea, Man United or surprisingly enough, Leeds! It belongs to a Peruvian club with the elegant name of Deportivo Wanka! The dark green shirt has the name of the club emblazoned across the front and I guess it appeals to the schoolboy humour in us to walk around with "D.Wanka" busting out in front of us. Apparentely the South American manafacturers were confused as to why the UK were suddenly ordering bucketloads of the shirts and it got me thinking as to what some of our names or sponsors translate in other nations. Whyte and Mackay could mean something obsence in parts of Africa for example, whilst Rushden and Diamonds could be frowned upon in Northern Asia! Whatever though, it won't be long before you see a few Wanka's walking around your neck of the woods in England!


Wednesday 8th February 2006
 "All veils and misty streets of blue. Almond looks, that chill divine." (Song Lyric)
Mystify - INXS: Correctly answered by kirstymd

Reading finished second in the second tier in 94-95 season, yet weren't promoted. Why?
The Prem was reduced from 22 to 20 clubs the following season and only the Champions went up. Reading then lost to Bolton in the play off final: Correctly answered by Matt Robbins
So Reading are left to concentrate on the league after being dumped out of the FA Cup by Birmingham last night. It was an odd, yet entertaining game with play often switching from end to end, however whilst Reading had the better of the first half, they still went in at half time behind and despite equalising and again looking strong, they seemed to lose all punch once Birmingham scored their second. I was expected an all out assault on the home side by Reading for the final twenty minutes, but it never really arrived, leaving Blues boss Steve Bruce to keep his job for a little while and make peace with son Alex who was at fault for the Reading goal. Of course, the real irony is that these two clubs could well be swapping divisions come May.


Thursday 9th February 2006
 "All I ever wanted. All I ever needed is here in my arms. Words are very unnecessary, they can only do harm." (Song Lyric)
Enjoy The Silence - Depeche Mode: Correctly answered by kirstymd

Which player from Everton's 1995 FA Cup winning squad is still at the club today?
Duncan Ferguson: Correctly answered by Matt Robbins
Chelsea at the Double? Chelsea 4 Everton 1: The Beeb made a lot of the fact that you could get Chelsea to win the double at 7/4 prior to last night's replay. In fairness, that didn't seem particularly good odds considering that they have at least four more cup games to negotiate, at least two of which are away from Stamford Bridge and that they have the Champions League to get in the way as well. Then, at half time against Everton with them 3-0 ahead, the odds seemed pretty impressive after all. During the interval I felt that they'd go on to net at least five, possibly more, goals, however either they eased off or Everton tightened up and in the end, it was only a 4-1 win. Of course, all this was help by a freakish injury in the warm up to keeper Richard Wright who landed on an A-board and twisted his ankle, resulting in the debut for youngster Iain Turner, who actually did quite well despite the result. Ironically, the board that Wright landed on was one warning players NOT to use that paricular area where the keeper was! Ironic justice indeed.

A further boost for Chelsea, not to mention Spurs and Man United, was Liverpool using, and hopelessly wasting, one of their games in hand as they lost 2-0 at Charlton. It's all very well to bemoan a dodgy penalty and the fact that Liverpool dominated the opening 40 minutes, but if they cannot put the ball in the net, they aren't going to win! The return of Robbie Fowler will help, but I don't believe him to be the 20 goal a season striker that he was a decade ago. Peter Crouch is struggling again after his recent goal spurt and Djibril Ciise seems capable of everything except scoring! I'll bet that Rafa Benitez will be scouring the World Cup this summer for top quality strikers. After all, after WC2002, they bought El Hadji Diouf!


Friday 10th February 2006
 For which 2002 film is Keifer Sutherland's voice heard throughout, but only in the final three minutes do we actually see him?
Phone Booth: Correctly answered by Gareth Fairey

Which lower league club famously knocked Rangers out of the 1966-67 Scottish Cup?
Maybe I'm missing something but the recent set up at Rangers seems a bit odd. They've announced that boss Alex McLeish will quit the club, but only after this season ends and that a new boss will be unveiled after the Champions League tie against Villarreal. I originally thought that McLeish had been sacked for a poor season so far, but it would appear that this isn't the case. Equally, the new manager must be someone who is available unless his current employers are willing to let the world and his wife know that he will be leaving. I could be wrong, but what odds on Sven taking over at Rangers after the World Cup...???

Apart from football, I watch very little TV. I'll watch the news once a day to keep up with what's going on in the world, but as regards actual programmes, then not much tickles my fancy. That said, it recent weeks, the likes of Sea Of Souls and Northern Lights have become unmissable, as has the new US series Supernatural. The first two are finishing their run over the next ten days, so it's with great delight and anticipation that Sky One have Series 5 of 24 back on Sunday!!! One of the few things that both my wife and I will watch, I've been watching since series 3, although I have seen the first two series now, and just find it totally addictive. I love anything with plot twists, largely as I'm too thick to see them coming, and this has them in bucketloads, outshone only by Saw and Saw 2 (both brilliant films!). Unless soaps that never seem to end their storylines, not to mention seeing the plots in the papers and Saturday supps before they are actually broadcast, there is an end product with 24 and they aren't afraid to kill off major characters just to keep the audience hooked. People may, can and will knock it, however for the next 23 weeks, Sunday nights at 9pm is 24-time!


Monday 13th February 2006
 "Left broken empty in despair. Wanna breath can't find air. Thought you were sent from up above, but you and me never had love." (Song Lyric)
Left Outside Alone - Anatascia: Correctly answered by kirstymd

Which goalkeeper holds the record for the quickest ever domestic red card, achieved after just 13 seconds in a Div 1 game on the opening day of the 2000-1 season?
Kevin Pressman: Correctly answered by Matt Robbins
Nothing over the weekend I'm afraid as it was my daughter's 12th birthday on Saturday and we spent most of the weekend surrounded with wrapping paper, a Nintendo DS doggy game (!!) and bowls! Yes, Sunday we had a party booked at our local (well, an hour away) Hollywood Bowl where she and four friends had two games on ten pin bowling. Not to be left out, us four adults that also went along, booked a couple of games for ourselves whilst the kids were doing their bit and it illustrated that if my daughter has one thing in common with me, it's that she can lose gracefully. My stepfather belittled his 64 years and won both of the `grown up` games with me coming second and third (in fact that second was only thanks to getting a strike on the last leg!). My wife also had a second and third whilst my mother came last both times. I usually have trouble adjusting to the special shoes and almost fell flat on my rear end when bowling the first ball, eventually looking like Bambi on ice! As for the kids, well the biggest surprise was our God-daughter who had expressed fears to her Mum that she wouldn't be any good as the previous time she'd been hadn't turned out to well! Ultimately, she was ahead in the first game (they were on adjoining lanes to us so we were keeping an eye on scores) and only came third after a dramatic comeback, and then raced away again to win the second game! I'm asking her for lessons now! All told though it was excellent value as the kids had their two games, plenty of food and a seemingly endless supply of drinks, not to mention a disposable camera, a radio for the birthday girl and a discount voucher for when we go next.

Oh yes, football! I've seen very little this weekend apart from the odd goal whilst FF-ing the video. Chelsea's defeat at Middlesbrough shocked the nation, although I loved the way that the Special One blamed it partially on NOT playing a game within 2-3 days (although didn't their reserves beat Everton in the FA Cup?). Either you want fixture congestion or you don't!! Arsenal v Bolton was notable for a late equalier for the Gunners and TWO two-footed tackles that made me wince. Both, especially Faye, were lucky to stay on in my opinion. Some debut for Iain Turner at Everton as well. He was the one thrown into the Lions Den at Chelsea and did pretty well in midweek and then got sent off on his first start after just nine minutes. On Sunday, Spurs blew a golden chance to put decent daylight between them and Arsenal and let in a late equaliser at bottom club Sunderland and then almost won it when Jenas skyed a late chance. Watch the replay of that miss with the camera behind Jenas and facing the Spurs fans behind the goal - their reaction is priceless! We've all been there though!


Tuesday 14th February 2006
 "When you can fall for chains of silver you can fall for chains of gold. You can fall for pretty strangers and the promises they hold." (Song Lyric)
Romeo & Juliet - Dire Straits: Correctly answered by Kirsty

Which former Premiership manager said, of his sacking in 1995, "After eight and a half years, they sacked me in two minutes!"
Another Monday night and another West Ham win, although I have to credit Sky for pointing out that it's their fourth win in four games on MNF! In truth, games at home to Fulham and Villa and both matches against Birmingham are probably games that you would expect the Hammers to win, however as Middlesbrough proved on Saturday, things do not always go as planned. I don't know whether West Ham had a good day or Birmingham had a bad one, maybe a combination of both, however from the moment that Marlon Harewood put them ahead, West Ham rarely looked in danger and the two second half goals in as many minutes simply confirmed the inevitable. That all left the pundits to dwell not so much on the game, but on the inclusion of Steve Bruce's son, Alex in the Birmingham starting line up ahead of Nicky Butt. The pre-match interview with the boss was entertain viewing as the reporter did his best to worm info out of Bruce in relation to Butt being left out, however he kept his cool under duress and simply claimed that Butt was not fully fit but still wanted to play. Translated, that came out as "Butt unhappy at being left out for manager's son!"

It's Valentine's Day today where grown men panic on the realisation that they've forgotten and need to put it right before their testicles get permanently detached from where nature intended. Yes, we all know it's another day that's been turned into a commercialisation stunt to make money, however that doesn't detract from the impact of forgetting. Between 5am and 6am this morning, we sold close to a dozen cards, all to men for whom Feb 14th had crept up silently and then smacked them in the chops. Equally, many businesses have cashed in and increased prices with restaurants bumping their meal prices up whilst florists are certain to have a busy field day today. On that point, some work colleagues and I had to send some flowers to a friend at the end of last week, so we rang a local florist to arrange it and was told that it would cost an extra �5 as it was Valentines week! This was the 10th and nothing to do with Valentines at all! Who is ripping who off I wonder?


Wednesday 15th February 2006
 "You'll Learn To Love Her. Warts And All." (Film Tagline)
Nanny McPhee: Correctly answered by kirstymd

Which two nations - one European and one South American - played the first ever Worlc Cup Finals game to open the 1930 tournament?
Arsenal are crap away from home - official! Yes, I know it was Liverpool and I know the Gunners were without the likes of Bergkamp, Van Persie and Reyes, but this was pretty dire fare from a team that swept all comers aside not so long ago. In fact, the only real surprise is that Liverpool took 87 minutes to break through, although that was really down to the brilliance of keeper Jens Lehmann than Liverpool misfiring. The transition thing for Arsenal will only hold water for so long with their fans and perhaps a little longer with outsiders and as one paper mentioned this morning, how long will Thierry Henry stay for if they continue to keep firing blanks? With a Champions League place in serious doubt, their best chance of qualifying could be by doing a Liverpool and winning the thing which, irony upon irony, would mean that the fourth placed club would miss out - possibly Spurs!

Leeds keep marching on after a blip where we dropped to fourth, we're now back into third after beating the club that leapt over us in the league, notably Watford. Fair enough, they were reduced to nine men after two red cards in four minutes, however we did show the bottle to come from behind and beat one of the best form clubs currently in the Championship. I've now reached the stage where I'm looking at the table and mentally calculating where we could be if this or that happens. For example, if we win our game in hand and then win at Sheffield United, we're only three points behind the second placed club and automatic promotion! Of course, lose both and we're miles out! With just 13 games to go, realistically we should get at least a play off spot as we're 13 points ahead of the seventh placed club, but in truth, until we're mathamatically guaranteed a top six spot, I'm taking nothing for granted.


Thursday 16th February 2006
 "I was scared, I was scared. Tired and under prepared." (Song Lyric)
In My Place - Coldplay: Correctly answered by kirstymd

Which current Middlesbrough player scored against Newcastle in the UEFA Cup last season?
Bolton Stalemate: As goalless draws go, Bolton at home to Marseille wasn't actually a poor game. Okay, it never reached fever pitch, edge of the seat excitement, but then first legs of the round of 32 (!) in the UEFA cup rarely will, but it was okay as a spectacle. I felt Bolton were unlucky but Marseille also had chances and either club could have won it but ultimately both were probably reasonable satisfied with the result. The referee was certainly not a homer and denied Bolton a clear cut penalty for handball which could have made the difference but then that's football. Sadly, I reckon Bolton will bow out in France and end their first ever European adventure but I'd love them to prove me wrong.

Right, it's waited long enough since Sunday! Wasn't the start of the new series (day) of 24 great? Two hours which felt like five minutes of everything we'd expect from the series, yet still finding enough twists and turns to shock and surprise.

BEWARE - SPOILER ALERT - YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!!


Two major characters killed off in the first 15 minutes and a third seriously injured and these are not but-part characters, they are long term stalwarts that have been around since the first hour of the first series/day and really you'd needed to have seen some or all of the first four series/days to have some idea of the impact that this provided and I reckon that's why the programme has such an appeal as it's not afraid to kill off major names in a bid to stun the viewer! The real-time aspect doesn't really concern me apart from admiring how they do it, however as usual there are new characters joining the old cast and half the fun is deciding whether they are friend or foe (although admittedly some are obviously foe) and whether various plot inclusions are red herrings or real. All told, massively entertaining if not entirely plausible, but then show me a show that is 100% plausible these days. Finally, we probably weren't the only ones that couldn't watch it on Sunday and Sky Plus-ed it instead and caught it on Monday afternoon instead. Therefore, why did the papers - or The Sun in particular - insist on printing what had happened in their Monday morning edition? It wasn't a teaser either! On their entertainment page it read, "Fans of 24 were reeling last night when two major characters were assassinated...." It then named BOTH characters!! Thankfully I only read it after I'd seen the show, but black marks all round for The Sun.


Friday 17th February 2006
 "Mom would be proud. She always said that your talent would make up for what God took away from you." (Film Quote)
House of Wax: Correctly answered by kirstymd

In 1991, Man United bought which player for a bargain �800,000 who then went on to become a regular starter for the next eight years?
Peter Schmeichel: Correctly answered by Matt Robbins
Stuttgart 1 Middlesbrough 2: I'll gladly admit that I didnt expect Boro to come back from Germany with a win last night especially with their recent form prior to the Chelsea game of course, however they fully deserved the victory which, as a game, was a world away from the Bolton match a day earlier. Plenty of action and goalmouth incidents again, but unlike the Bolton game, precious little of the nigglyness that crept in and a referee that seemed to be perfectly fair and of course, goals! I was impressed with Middlesbrough although once I saw that a certain Gronkjaer was playing for the Germans and that he still shows the form that made him a flop at Birmingham rather than that of the success at Chelsea, then Boro always had a chance. The second leg SHOULD be fairly routine and looks likely to set up a mouthwatering clash with Roma!


Saturday 18th February 2006
 "I wonder to myself, could life ever be sane again? The Leeds side streets that you slip down. I wonder to myself." (Song Lyric)
Panic - The Smiths: Correctly answered by Matt Robbins

Alan Smith's last goal for Leeds was a penalty in his final home game against which club?
Liverpool 1 Man United 0: Man United will have another drab season as regards trophies this year with their maximum haul being the Carling Cup next weekend. Their defeat today at Liverpool in the FA Cup was deserved as they rarely threatened the home goal in a game that, unlike the two league matches this season between the clubs, did at least have some excitement to enjoy. Even though United were well below par, their still have that aura around their that suggests they could score at any time but for all that and the goal from Peter Crouch that somehow dribbled over the line, the game was overshadowed by an awful injury to ex-Leeds man Alan Smith who managed to break his leg and dislocate his ankle in a freak accident as he blocked a shot from John Arne Riise. Even boss Sir Alex Ferguson said that it was one of the worst injuries he'd ever seen and I daresay that before long, maybe even in the papers tomorrow, one photographer somewhere would have caught the precise moment that the break occured. Memories of the likes of Dave Busst and Luc Nilis spring to mind, however it's worth remembering that Djibril Cisse also suffered a bad break last season and has come back. Speedy recovery Smiffy.

Newcastle 1 Southampton 0: The other live Cup game today saw the return of Kieron Dyer marked with him scoring the winning goal and yet another freak injury as Saints keeper Bartosz Bialkowski seemed to twist his knee as he landed from dropping a high ball. Not as serious as Smith's but enough to see him stretchered off and outfield player Dexter Blackstock take over in goal for the latter stages. Unlike the above game, it wasn't one way traffic as Saints gave as good as they got and could have scored twice in th early stages of the second half. Ultimately though Newcastle go through and you just wonder now if this will be Shearer's year for a trophy with his home town club. Just watch them get Chelsea away in the QF's now - assume they beat Colchester tomorrow of course!


Sunday 19th February 2006
 Which 1976 film was based around the events of the Watergate scandal?
All The Presidents Men: Correctly answered by Matt Robbins

What non-league `double` did Colchester achieve in season 1991-92?
Aston Villa 1 Man City 1: Wow, what a finale to this one! City looked to be on their way out of the FA Cup until 17-year old Micah Richards heads in just two minutes after being treated for cramp! It has to be said that they deserved at least a draw and anything less would have been a massive injustice and I'll be the first to admit that I was off the sofa when the header flew in. In fact, my first thought was how the City fans would be feeling that had left the stadium just a minute before when a long ball had gone out tamely for a goal kick. Probably a mixture of delight that they'd levelled, but anger that they'd missed it. After this I have a sneaky feeling for City to go all the way to Cardiff. Just watch them get Chelsea away now!

Chelsea 3 Colchester 1: Not as clear cut as it looked was this one, especially after a senational own goal put Colchester ahead and had me, and I daresay most neutrals, again off the seat with a mix of joy and disbelief. Chelsea were awful in the first half or Colchester were excellent and in many ways it was a shame that they equalised before half time, but the lower league club can take comfort in the fact that the Champions needed to wheel out the big guns of Lampard, Crespo and Joe Cole to eventually swing the game. What it all means is an all Premiership quarter final line up, as mentioned by yours truly would be a possibility three weeks ago.

Spurs 2 Wigan 2: Arguably the best game of the day was the only league match of the weekend as Spurs twice came from behind to hold Wigan. As a neutral, it was great to see two clubs go for a win from the outset and two clubs who attackers were probably marginally better than their defences! Some Spurs fans jeered at the end and perhaps it was justified as a club of their lofty status would be expecting to win home games and, should they miss out on CL or even European football next season (which I don't think they will), they could well look back on games like today and last weeks at Sunderland as to where points were lost.


Monday 20th February 2006
 "You know I`ll change, if change is what you require. Your every wish. Your every dream, hope, desire." (Song Lyric)
Mirror Man - Human League: Correctly answered by Kirsty

Just five players started for Newcastle in the 1998 and 1999 FA Cup Finals. Three were British (Shearer, Speed and Rob Lee) but which two overseas players started both finals?
Dabizas and Ketsbaia: Correctly answered by Matt Robbins
Good news on the Alan Smith injury that he's had surgery on his leg and ankle and that all seems to have gone well. Okay, it'll still mean a long time out but at least it looks as though he'll play again whereas a decade or so ago, it could well have spelt the end of his career. I did laugh at the interview he gave to The Sun where he said that he looked down as the injury happened and saw his leg facing one way and his ankle toward Hong Kong! What a great attitude to have after such a horror injury and that should stand him in good stead over the coming weeks and months as a positive outlook can only work in his favour. Here's to a full recovery however long it takes and to the possibility of him rejoining his hometown club when they earn promotion!

The quarter final draw for the FA Cup has kept the big two apart (Chelsea and Liverpool in case you were wondering) and possibly given both a passport to the semi's. I would fully expect Chelsea to see off anyone at home and whilst Newcastle knocked them out last season, their only hope would be to grab a replay I reckon. Liverpool travel to Birmingham and again, on paper, should ease through, but it's worth remembering that they've yet to beat the Blues this season with a 2-2 draw away and a recent 1-1 draw at Anfield. I still think they'll get through though. The other two are harder to call and could really go either way, but I'll stick with my outside tip of Man City. I also notice that they are all being played in midweek due to the shortened season because of the World Cup. That's a shame in a way as it won't quite seem the same, although I wonder if the FA/Sky/BBC will decide to go for one game on each of the Monday to Thursday dates that have been allocated. That should annoy the football haters, especially if the Beeb have the contract to show three games as they have for the previous rounds! But then, we are having to endure the bloody winter olympics at the moment, which I'll remind certain people during the summer when they moan about `too much football on the telly.`


Tuesday 21st February 2006
 "I just know your life's gonna change, maybe not today, maybe not today, but some day soon you'll be alright." (Song Lyric)
No Worries - Simon Webbe: Correctly answered by Kirsty

Who won the last Community (Charity) Shield to be played at the Old Wembley?
The FA Cup Final this season will NOT be played at the new Wembley as planned, or should I say hoped, but in Cardiff again as the new stadium will definitely not be ready for the showpiece. Pardon my cynicism and sarcasm, but what a surprise eh! This also extends to two England internationals at the end of May and early June which will be likely moved to Old Trafford as England prepare for the World Cup. Maybe it's just me, but the rest of the world must be laughing at England and our hopeless inability to do anything on schedule. Ok, it's a massive development but why set unrealistic targets and then be forced to let everyone down and all this just a few short years after the Millennium Dome and the over-riding success that it was (sarcasm mode will be switched off eventually). All this means that, whilst we are constantly reminded that the New Wembley will be the best stadium in the World, the FA Cup Final will be switched to Wales and the first game at the new ground is likely not to be the finale of the season, but the opening of the new campaign. Yes, the all singing, all dancing Community Shield 2006 will be the first to grace North West London. Oh, assuming it's ready in August of course.

Cookery programmes on the telly usually spell instant boredom from my point of view, however I've found myself hooked on a daily show that has revamped an old formula and none it well. Masterchef used to have three (or was it four?) contestants from each area of the UK and they would all cook a three course meal for Lloyd Grossman, a celeb and a chef to test. The best dish won, it was as simple, and dull, as that. The meals all tended to be varying degrees of excellent as far as the judges go but now things are different. Masterchef goes Large has six wannabe chefs per episode and three of them are out after a 40 minute section where they have to cook a dish from selected ingredients. The remaining three then spend two hours in a real, busy, lunchtime kitchen to see how they cope with pressure and then have to do the original MC bit and cook a two course meal of their choice. The real difference is the judges who are not backwards at coming forwards if a dish tastes like cow dung or is over/undercooked or indeed BOTH as one guy managed to do with smoked haddock yesterday ("It takes real talent to undercook AND overcook the same piece of fish." quipped one judge! Speaking as someone who hasn't heard of half the ingredients that they use and whilst I can cook from scratch, it's usually limited to roast meat and veg, it's entertaining viewing and has become must watch TV for myself and my wife each weekday.


Wednesday 22nd February 2006
 Which 1980 John Carpenter film had the same title as an early novel by James Herbert but bore absolutely no resemblence to his storyline?

Which club knocked Real Madrid out of the Champions League last season at the first knock out stage?
Real Madrid 0 Arsenal 1: History in the making for Arsenal as they became the first English club to win a competitive game away at Real Madrid - and they thoroughly deserved it. The loss of Woodgate was a blow for Real and you wonder if he'll ever be fully fit again, however it still takes a good performance to take advantage of it and they did just that and it was made all the more remarkable by the makeshift line up that Arsene Wenger had to field. Whereas Madrid continue to have a team of excellent individuals, Arsenal are more of a team on last night's display and in fairness they should have scored more than the Thierry Henry goal that they did manage, especially in the second half when Arsenal dominated and were helped considerably by Madrid's incredible ability to find an Arsenal player with every other pass. Considering Arsenal's away form this season and Madrid's recent form (ten wins in 11 games) this was truly an astonishing scoreline. Now lets hope that Arsenal don't screw it up in the home leg.

Benfica 1 Liverpool 0: I didn't see any of this game, just the editted highlights later on, however you wonder how the management and players will feel about the result. An single-goal away defeat in Europe isn't too bad if you manage to get an away goal, however Liverpool didn't, meaning that a strike at Anfield for Benfica would put Liverpool in a position where they need three, which whilst not impossible, isn't easy either, although cast your mind back to the home clash with Olympiakos in the group stage last season for what could happen! I would expect Liverpool to overhaul the deficit and make it through to the quarter-finals, yet something nagging at the back of my mind feels that they may have just used up all of their `Get Out Of Jail Free Cards` last season.


Thursday 23rd February 2006
 "Don't you try to pretend, it's my feeling we'll win in the end. I won't harm you or touch your defences. Vanity and security." (Song Lyric)

Apart from Liverpool Chelsea failed to score in just one Champions League game last season. Against which club?
Chelsea 1 Barcelona 2: Wow, so many talking points in a game that didn't really start until almost half time. Chronological seems as good a way as any, so here goes...

Del Horno's Red Card: Harsh to say the least, not helped by the drastic over-reaction of Messi. But, considering three things. Firstly, the referee only gets one look at the incident and my first reaction when I saw it `live` was of total shock at a poor challenge. Replays proved it to be clumsy rather than vicious or malicious. Secondly, Del Horno was lucky to escape punishment earlier for a studs first challenge that ripped the shorts of the same opponent and thirdly, if Robben would have cleared the ball when he had the chance rather than fart around with it, none of it would have happened anyway. All told, Messi's acting was dispicable, but little different to that of Robben's a couple of weeks ago against Liverpool!

1-0 to Chelsea!: It had to happen sooner or later. Too often, defender's face their opponent at set pieces rather than watch the ball and it was only a matter of time before the ball hit one of them and it bobbled in or to a striker. Unlikely for Motti, it bobbled in off his leg and Chelsea were ahead. Unlike many UK fans, I actually wanted Chelsea to win and was off the sofa like something deranged!

1-1 As Lightening Strikes Twice: Whilst the Motti own goal was laughable for it's stupidity, John Terry's equaliser can only be put down to one of those things. Had he been an inch higher or the ball and inch lower, it would have been nodded to safety or over the bar. As it was, it glanced off of his head and in and wasn't unlike the winner for Liverpool when they beat Alaves in the 2001 UEFA Cup Final.

Eto'o Heads Home: Just a minute after Didier Drogba missed a glorious chance for Chelsea, Barca went up the other end and won it. All bias and joking aside, it was an excellent goal from the initial breakaway to the cross to Samuel Eto'o's terrific header and it capped a captivating second half which followed a largely forgetable first. Who's to say what would have happened had Chelsea kept 11 men on the field as it's open to all sorts of interpretation, but it's going to be hard for them in the Nou Camp and even the optimist in me thinks that it could be a hurdle too far.


Friday 24th February 2006
 Which top actor has played characters named Lucius Fox, William Somerset and Ellis Redding?
Morgan Freeman: Correctly answered by Matt Robbins

Stelios Giannakopolous joined Bolton from which club?
Mixed Fortunes: It's been a week of own goals this week, starting with the Chelsea OG against Colchester on Sunday, then continuing with two on Wednesday and now another last night to knock Bolton out of the UEFA Cup in Marseille. Tal Ben Haim was the unlucky victim and whilst Bolton will mention the penalty that wasn't given in the first leg, I get the feeling that they lost this tie on the stroke of half time when Marseille equalised with literally a second remaining. Just 15 seconds before, commentator John Helm had said, "Just don't concede now Bolton." and sods law they did just that. Until then, they looked comfortable enough after taking the lead thanks to an absolute howler from home keeper Fabien Barthez who dropped a simple catch in his six yard box and gifted Stelios Giannakopolous (does he have the longest surname in the Prem?) a goal. Doubtless a few Man United fans would have had a giggle at his expense. It's a shame to see Bolton go out, but they'll be back next year I'm sure.

Middlesbrough seemed to do the hard work in their game last week with a win in Stuttgart, however in typically British fashion, they made it as hard as possible for themselves by letting in an early goal in the second leg and then living on their nerves for the rest of the game. Thankfully they held on and have a plum draw against Roma to look forward to next. Surely that will ensure a sell out at the Riverside...?


Saturday 25th February 2006
 "Came in from the city. Walked into the door. I turned around when I heard the sound of footsteps on the floor." (Song Lyric)
Don't Go - Yazoo: Correctly answered by Kirsty

Which two Liverpool players hold the record for the most number of appearances (six) in League Cup Finals?
As regards goals, it was a fairly quiet day in the Prem with just six goals in the five matches played today. Most notable and eye-catching though was Blackburn beating Arsenal as the Gunners prove that whilst they can beat Real Madrid away from home, a win on the road domestically is still as common as Haley's Comet. Chelsea won again after their midweek disappointment and, by my reckoning, now need seven wins and a draw (or 22 points to the pedantic) to guarantee the league title. Of course this is all assuming that Man United win every league game that they have left. As Chelsea run away at the top, Sunderland are doing similar at the bottom and could be relegated within another six games if all results go against them. All this mental arithmatic is giving me a headache!

I wasn't going to watch the Scottish Cup game between Hearts and Partick, but I did catch most of the second half and was able to see one of the most pointless red cards ever! Not due to poor refereeing as the official did everything right, however Hearts star Roman Bednar - hailed as the next big thing in Edinburgh - lasted just ten minutes on the pitch after a remarkable sequence of events. He came on as a sub just after the hour and was booked shortly afterwards for trying to block a free kick from being taken quickly whilst stood about a yard away from the ball. Not content with that, he then burst into the penalty area and produced a dive that Arjen Robben would be proud of and was promptly shown a second yellow. His manager must be so proud!

Finally to Leeds as gained ground on Sheffield United with a narrow 2-1 win against ten man Luton. The Blades lost as home to QPR to leave the gap now at eight points, although sadly for us, Watford netted a late winner against Cardiff and remain a point ahead of us. Whilst the play offs are surely guaranteed (famous lasts words), automatic promotion remains a possibility, although I daresay that Watford feel exactly the same. Interesting also that in our last three games, there have been FOUR red cards given out to our opponents.


Sunday 26th February 2006
 "I was grounded while you filled the skies. I was dumbfounded by truth, you cut through lies." (Song Lyric)
The Whole Of The Moon - The Waterboys: Correctly answered by Kirsty

Wayne Rooney scored his first ever competitive goal in the League Cup for Everton. But against which opponents?
Wrexham: Correctly answered by Matt Robbins
A record breaking day for Man United in the Carling Cup Final as they recorded the biggest ever winning margin since the final went one game only in 1967. Wigan were swept aside, although it has to be said that some of it was down to their own making...

Early Injury: How unlucky was Wigan keeper Mike Pollitt to collect a hamstring injury within three minutes of kick off and such an innocous moment as well as we wasn't stretching or challenging. Whilst he did last a further ten minutes, I really felt for him as he struggled to hold back the tears as he trudged off. On the plus side, at least he kept a clean sheet!

The Slaughter Starts: 33 minutes and as Wayne Rooney lurks, Pascal Chimbonda and Arjan De Zeeuw get in a tangle to gift him the ball and he gives United the lead. Probably deserved at the time in fairness as he had hit the bar earlier and United had seen most of the ball. That said, it was an open game and at half time it was still in the balance.

The Lead Is Doubled: After dominating the opening ten minutes of the half, Wigan go two down after a lovely sweeping move from United ends in Louis Saha playing pinball with keeper John Filan and seeing the ball bobble in after his first shot had been saved and rebounded against his knee. Lucky yes. Deserved? Overall yes, but perhaps not at the time. However it was the goal that opened the floodgates.

Body Perfect: Four minutes further on and a dreadful clearance by Stephane Henchoz lets in Saha to set up Cristiano Ronaldo to wallop in the third. Terrific finish it has to be said and whilst he was booked for the henious crime of removing his shirt, it did give something else for commentators Andy Gray and Alan Parry to comment on. Did you notice though, no hairs on his chest? Bit different to Ryan Giggs eh!

The Final Nail: Rooney's second was down to more defensive frailties as Wigan failed to clear a free kick, however at that time, I must admit that I feared the worst for them. Whilst 4-0 is bad enough, it would not have surprised me to see United really turn on the style and score one or two more. Ultimately they didn't but it will still go down as one of the more one-sided finals of recent years.

Ruud Boy?: No place in the starting XI for Ruud Van Nistelrooy and he didn't even get on as a sub. What odds on one of the tabloids running a story soon on "Unhappy Ruud Wants Out Of United!"


Monday 27th February 2006
 "I'll be the one to tuck you in at night and if you wanna leave I can guarantee you won't find nobody else like me." (Song Lyric)
Follow Me - Uncle Kracker: Correctly answered by Kirsty

All nine of England's previous games against Uruguay have been played at Wembley or in Montevideo, except one. Where was that one played?
Oh good, it's an international midweek of little interest to anyone except die hard fans, Mr Eriksson and those players in the probable or possible lists for Germany 2006. It's still three months to the WC so I cannot see the logic in having these slap bang in the start of the title run ins for most major leagues, especially as may top players would be grateful to have a few days break. Still, the authorities know best I suppose. If it were me, then why not arrange a couple more internationals at the end of the season, but before the squads need to be officially announced? For example, a fringe player could have a fantastic game on Wednesday and then get injured in the final league game of the season just to throw out all arrangements. On the plus side, I can at least catch up with a few things on the box in the evenings that need to be watched, or maybe a film or two...

On which point (tenuous link I know!) we went to the cinema today, to one of those multi-screen jobbos that open at 11am and means that we can drive to Bristol, catch an early film and still get home in time for daughter to get out of school. We didn't go blind as such and thanks to the power of the Internetweb thinggy, knew what was on and at what time, so being the gorehounds that we are, we chose Final Destination 3. We'd seen the other two and enjoyed them and the third was equally as good. Ok, it's basically a re-run of the first film where American teen foresees a disaster (a rollercoaster accident in this case) then gets her and some friends off the ride only to see said premonition come true. Mr Death then comes after aforementioned teens and bumps them off in various unlikely, yet very grisly and gory ways. So you know it's not Oscar winning material when you buy the ticket, it's simply an excuse to knock off some annoying teens as messily as possible (and some are VERY messy!) but the fun is not so much as guessing who (as that's largely told to the audience in advance), but how they'll meet their maker and it has to be said that the tension build up to some is so drawn out that whilst you know what's coming, it's still a hell of a shocker when it finally clobbers you! If you want strong acting, an excellent storyline and emotional material, then try Brokeback Mountain (No, I've not seen it) but if you want gore (remarkably strong for a 15 cert), shocks and an ending that neither of us saw coming, then you could do a lot worse that FD3, but see the first two first!


Tuesday 28th February 2006
 For which film were 14 Ford Anglia cars destroyed to be able to complete just one scene?
Harry Potter & The Chamber Of Secrets: Correctly answered by Kirsty

When England played Serbia & Montenegro in June 2003, what remarkable `first` did England achieve?
The first time that a country had FOUR different captains during the game (Michael Owen 45 mins, Emile Heskey 15, Phil Neville 26 and Jamie Carragher 9 - plus  stoppage time): Correctly answered by Matt Robbins
It had to happen didn't it? As I predicted on Sunday, the papers have grabbed the Ruud Van Nistelrooy non-story and made the most of it. I only saw The Sun yesterday as it was my day off of work but they had something, however The Mirror today have also jumped onto the bandwagon with an exclusive that RVN is ready to quit United after this season and was `gutted` at missing out on the Cup Final. The latter I can believe, but the former is only backed up by `sources in Holland` - Hmmm! Called me old fashioned or cynical, but I'm inclined to take it all with a pinch of salt until we see a direct quote from player, club or manager and at the moment all I've seen is RVN stating that he was disappointed but could understand why Louis Saha got the nod ahead of him. Personally I'd be amazed if RVN is NOT at Old Trafford come August.

After the aforementioned cinema visit yesterday, my wife and I had dinner in a nearby KFC, as is our want (yes, I know fast food is bad for you, but everything seems to be bad for you these days!) and whilst waiting for our order to be made up, which was done remarkably quickly I must admit, my eyes starting wandering at the various plaques on the wall, most of which were for specific awards of the ilk that `This branch reached the Bronze Level of service for March 2004` and so on. One however caught my eye, although I suspect it really shouldn't have been in public viewing, but it was and Mr Nosey here had a read. It was basically a step-by-step guide of how to serve! Now, I've been working in various shops for upwards of 18 years now and have never been on a course of any kind as I believe that you should serve the public as you'd wished to be treated if you were a customer. However, this guide included such gems as "Greet The Customer." (Usually - Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening) "Take Order." - "Repeat Order Back" (This part was particularly difficult for me as a customer as the one that served us didn't seem to have English mastered at all!). It all ended with the classic, "Serve Food With A Friendly Goodbye." (This is usually a simple `Enjoy Your Meal.). I'm still trying to work out which was worse, the need to have such a list there in the first place or the need to put it right by the tills so that the staff cannot forget it. Still, if anyone from KFC is reading, the one that served us followed the list to absolute perfection, even if she was hard to understand at times.


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